Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Matchday 33, 08/05/2026
16-year-old Mezian Mesloub struck 11 seconds into his professional debut to lift Lens into the Champions League and send Les Canaris back to the second tier.
RC Lens head coach Pierre Sage had many starters unavailable tonight, such as Saud Abdulhamid, Mamadou Sangaré, Florian Thauvin and Adrien Thomasson. Still, the Artois side set the pace early on, finding gaps in Nantes’ back five but lacking an edge in the final third.
Except for a Wesley Saïd half-volley – well parried away by Anthony Lopes – the hosts had very little clear-cut chances. Most of it was down to Nantes’ solid defensive display. To their credit, Nantes gradually grew into the game, and their physicality hurt the hosts.
However, for all their good will and energy going forward, Matthis Abline and Ignatius Ganago were well kept at bay. Nantes registered no shot on target in the first half.
Early into the second half, Lopes was called into action, denying Matthieu Udol’s shot from a tight angle. His opposite number between the Lens sticks, Robin Risser, did an even better save in clearing Johann Lepenant’s volley off his line.
Lens thought they had opened the scoring, not once but twice. First, Saïd’s effort was rightlly chalked off with Sima offside in the build-up. The second one was more controversial, with Sima adjudged to have handled the ball in powering past Ali Yusuf before beating Lopes.
Nantes had the chance to race ahead against the run of play with Matthis Abline and Ignatius Ganago going together with only Ismaëlo Ganiou on their path, but instead of laying it on a plate for Ganago, Abline opted to go alone, and his shot ricocheted off Risser’s left post.
Nantes’ attacking woes are the main reason why they were heading to Ligue 2 in the first place, and they let their chance pass. And Lens punished them immediately, through an unlikely hero. 16-year-old Mezian Mesloub was on the pitch for only 11 seconds, for his professional debut, to strike true into Lopes’ bottom left corner with ten minutes to spare.
Cue bedlam at Bollaert-Delelis. Nantes threw their all to turn the game on its head, but it was all too late for Les Canaris, who have recorded a club-record 20th league loss this season. They drop back to Ligue 2 next season. Meanwhile, Lens will be different in a very different league: the Champions League.
Robin Risser, 6
Malang Sarr, 6
Samson Baidoo, 5
Ismaëlo Ganiou, 5
Matthieu Udol, 5
Amadou Haidara, 5
Andrija Bulatović, 6
Abdallah Sima, 4
The winger was deployed as a right wing-back, and it showed that he is not used to it. Frédéric Guilbert regularly got the better of him, and his attacking output was minimal. Reinstated as a striker in the second half, he was involved in Lens’ two chalked off goals. Replaced by 16-year-old Mezian Mesloub – Walid Mesloub’s son – who scored the game-winning goal 11 seconds into his debut.
Rayan Fofana, 3
The young striker lost possession many times and failed to strike an understandings with his attacking teammates. Hooked at half-time and replaced by Florian Sotoca.
Odsonne Edouard, 4
Wesley Saïd, 4
Anthony Lopes, 5
Frédéric Guilbert, 6
Matthis Abline, 3
